The King’s Intelligencer: A Historical Novel Unveiled

Elizabeth St. John has been a guest of this blog many times in the past . She is a historical fiction author with a joint passion for her family history (and what a history!) and the revolutionary events of the 17th century. The Lydiard Chronicles follow the Apsley and St. John families during the War of the Three Kingdoms. Her last novel, The Godmother’s Secret, dealt with the mystery of the disappearance of the Princes of the Tower, and did so brilliantly. Although set during the War of the Roses, The Godmother’s Secret also featured the St. John ancestors and…

Detail of the cover for The Godmother's Secret

The Godmother’s Secret: Guest post by Elizabeth St. John and excerpt

October 5, 2022October 10, 2022 Categories: 17th century · Author Spotlights · historical fiction · Novel excerptTags: Best of historical fiction in 2022 · Elizabeth St. John · Richard III · Succession of the Monarchy · Succession of the monarchy in historical fiction · The Godmother's Secret · The Princes in the Tower · War of the Roses in Fiction · Westminster Abbey · What happened to the Princes in the Tower · Who Killed the Princess in the Tower4 Comments

In the past, it has been a privilege to host historical fiction author Elizabeth St. John on my website, and I’m delighted to welcome her back again. Elizabeth shares a passion for the 17th century and the Stuart Age, and her novels are all gleaned from the vaults of her illustrious family’s history. Her ancestors were at the centre of events during tumultuous times, and she offers a unique perspective in her novel.

Introducing BETRAYAL – Historical Fiction Anthology #histfic @HistFictioneers

November 20, 2020November 19, 2020 Categories: historical fiction · NewsTags: Alison Morton · Amy Maroney · Anna Belfrage · Annie Whitehead · Betrayal · Betrayal anthology · Charlene Newcomb · Cryssa Bazos · Derek Birks · Elizabeth St. John · Helen Hollick · historical fiction anthology · Historical Fictioneers · Judith Arnopp · Mercedes Rochelle · Tony Riches · Traitor's KnotLeave a comment

I’m very excited to announce the launch of Betrayal, a historical fiction anthology that I have the honour of being a part of with my story “Honour of Thieves”. Spanning eras from post-Roman Britain to the present day, the stories in Betrayal bring to life both legendary moments of deceit as well as imagined episodes of treachery. You’ll encounter highwaymen, knights, pirates, soldiers and even ordinary people, caught up in extraordinary circumstances. Collectively, these stories illustrate multiple facets of betrayal. Under the banner of Historical Fictioneers, the authors of Betrayal include myself, Judith Arnopp, Anna Belfrage, Derek Birks, Helen Hollick, Amy Maroney,…

Elizabeth St.John’s Lydiard Chronicles – Written in their Stars #NewRelease #KeepItStuart #StuartAge @ElizStJohn

November 19, 2019November 21, 2019 Categories: Author SpotlightsTags: Anne Wilmot · Elizabeth St. John · Frances Apsley · Lucy Hutchinson · Lydiard Chronicles · Lydiard Park · Shadow Court · Written in their Stars3 Comments

It is my very great pleasure to welcome Elizabeth St. John today on the blog to talk about her latest novel, Written in their Stars, the third and final instalment of the Lydiard Chronicles about three dynamic women: a spymistress, a rebel and a courtier. Liz and I share a love of the 17th century and the War of the Three Kingdoms. She has a unique insight into this turbulent time as she writes about her famous ancestors who had a ringside seat to the troubles and often found themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. Without further ado, welcome…

Author Spotlight: Elizabeth St. John

November 8, 2017August 19, 2019 Categories: 17th century · Author SpotlightsTags: 17th century · By Love Divided · Elizabeth St. John · English Civil War · Historical Novel Society · Lydiard Chronicles · Lydiard Park · The Lady of the Tower2 Comments

I first met Elizabeth St. John after one of the sessions at the 2015 Historical Novel Society Conference in Denver. We were waiting to meet the speaker, the lovely Jenny Quinlan (aka Jenny Q) of Historical Editorial, when we struck up a conversation about what we were writing. You should realize that when you’re at a historical fiction conference, you can skip the genre question and go straight to, ‘What period are you writing in?”. We both answered 17th century England, and this pretty much sealed it for us. Elizabeth is blessed with a closet-full of famous relatives from which she…